Warning!! DP and i have just been told we are £1200 in the red to Southern electric....

[roseblade]

We are a family of three (twoadults one child). We live in a small two bed house.

We have the usual electrical stuff, not that much as we couldn't fit it in our house !

We have three (newish) night storage heaters and last year got a small 'panel' heater fitted in small utility area.

Our bills have to date been about £180 per quarter.

Got a lett frm S. elec asking us to ring them as there was a 'discrepancy' with our last reading (they took it and we have since checked and it is in the right area)they have told us that since june last year we have somehow accrued a £1200 debt despite paying all our bills in full

We are flabergastered and depressed!! the only thing they can suggest is the new little flat panel heater (which our electrician chose specifically because it was one of the most energy efficiant)

They are sending someone our in two weeks to check the 'meter', which incidentally they told us they would charge us to do if it was found to be ok but have since agreed to do fr 'free' as DP nearly went through the roof.

Just can't believe it, how can this happen?

Am and .

Are your meters near anyone elses? I live on the first floor of a house split into flats and until last year a very dodgy couple lived upstairs. My electric bills were reguarly over £400 a quarter Since then there is a new family there and my bills have come down to about the £200 mark I am sure that they had rigged their meter so that I was paying for their electric, but EDF don't want to know. Our meters are all outside in a box together. Is it possible that your meter is actually picking up someone elses reading as well as your own?

I don't know anything about the ins and outs of electricity billing but I'm sure there is some legal thing that they can't just turn round and present huge catch up bills. Have you sought out any legal advice re this? Maybe had a word with the energy ombudsman or something?

Thanks for the replies!
We live in a terraced house and as far as I am aware there is no easy was for someone to fiddle with our meter. I will definately be contacting the ombudsman (which BTW SElec said they 'didn't have the address for!!!wtf!!)

If the meter proves to be ok then of course we will have to pay, but the bottom line is we have spent £1200 in elctricity over 9 months for one small flat panel heater which is only on for a few hours a day???

Even the manager we spoke to seemed a bit puzzled, he asked if we had a swimming pool I wish- a bill like this probably wouldn't bother me if we did lol!!

I know the amount isn't in the same ball park, but a few years ago I suddenly got a quartely gas bill for about £360 (for a one-bed flat). It turned out that the meter hadn't actually been read for more than two years (even though the meter was outside the property) - they had been estimating it, then finally did an actual reading and the bill was to catch up. Anyway, the point of telling you this is that I wrote a stroppy letter complaining that I was in debt and it wasn't my fault, and they agreed to let me pay it in quite small installments (I think it was something like £8 a month).

I hope it turns out that you don't owe the money, but if you do, you should be able to agree to pay in small installments.

Best of luck

could there be a fault with the heater?

otherwise I think it's quite likley that the meter is wrong. don't panic yet!

also even if you do really owe the money, they'll let you pay it in installments

you can get a device which tells you exactly how much energy you are using at any one time - I can't remember the name but I saw an article about it recently so perhaps some other clever person can remember.

THis would enable you to monitor exactly how much your various heater costs you to run, and you could multiply it back and figure out whether it is indeed possible for you to have used that amount of electricity.

The figures might be useful if you do decide to claim to the ombudsman - if you can prove that, say, even running 24/7 your heaters could NOT have used that amount of electricity then it might strengthen your claim?

btw if you live in a terraced house I think it would be technically possible for someone to access your electricity wires through the shared walls - it would be difficult but probably not impossible, depending on the age and design of the house.

They could then add a plug to your wire and run whatever device/s they liked off the plug, for which you would be paying.

So it might be also worth turning off every single device in your house (including the fridge/freezer) and seeing if your meter is still moving. If it is that would indicate some kind of problem.

Will definately look into the device, if anyone does know what it is I would be very grateful!

With regards the wall, they are solid and about 4 foot thick (very old house!) But I think I will do as suggested tomorrow, turn absolutely everything off and see if the numbers on the meter are still going up.

To be honest, nothing would surprise me anymore with regards bills etc, although i must say I have never in 15 years of paying utility bills, had anything like this happen.

Just a cautionary tale to others really,that your bills can skyrocket without anything 'obvious' having changed.

we bought this one

not cheap, but fun. and will eventually pay for itself.